


Risks and Rewards

by InspectorBoxer



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-23 23:52:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8347705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InspectorBoxer/pseuds/InspectorBoxer
Summary: Kara Danvers likes powerful women. And they like her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to zennie for the quick beta. Still not sure about Lena's voice, but I decided to give this a shot.

It had been six weeks since Cat Grant had exited Kara’s life.

Kara had known she would miss her, but she had woefully underestimated how much. While she could have used Cat’s advice on any number of problems plaguing her, it was the simpler things she longed for. Her strut out of the elevator. Her huff of exasperation when an employee left her frustrated. The dramatic eye rolls when a member of the board called. The way Cat looked beneath the stars and city lights when they lingered after work to talk on the balcony.

Most of all, Kara missed Cat’s smile. 

Physically aching over its absence, Kara knew she was dangerously distracted lately as Supergirl, and adrift in a sea of change as Kara Danvers. Cat leaving had wrecked her, more than Kara would have thought possible.

Only Alex seemed to notice, though, suggesting Kara was getting better at hiding her feelings. Alex had been stopping by more regularly. There’d been more sister nights. More shared gallons of ice cream. More cuddles on the couch. Alex had kept her sane these past several weeks, never pushing, just being there while Kara mourned what she’d lost.

What she’d never had.

Kara had almost kissed Cat that last night, and it haunted her that she’d let the moment pass. She’d been a coward, too terrified that expressing her feelings might send Cat running away from her for good. It was one thing to wait until Cat came back to her, quite another to possibly lose her forever.

Sighing, Kara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she tried to focus on the job at hand. She leaned back in the leather armchair in the lobby of L-Corp, listening as footsteps echoed on the marble floors, the murmur of voices swirling around her. 

“Ms. Danvers?” Lena Luthor’s secretary appeared, a woman a few inches shorter and a few years older than Kara. “Ms. Luthor will see you now.”

Kara smiled tightly and followed. She owed Lena a debt of gratitude. Lena favored her for some reason over other reporters Snapper often sent her way, and she’d finally told Kara’s boss she would only talk to Kara. Some days Kara was pretty sure that was the only reason she still had a job.

“Kara,” Lena greeted, standing up from her desk as the secretary left them alone. “My week wasn’t feeling complete without a visit from you.”

Chuckling slightly, Kara shrugged. “You’ll have to do something to make news sooner next time.”

Lena grinned and motioned at the chair on the other side of her desk. “So what have I done to make news this week? Or is this visit about my brother’s failed attempt to escape from prison?”

Kara winced. Lex Luthor had made his fifth attempt in as many months, but this time a guard had paid the price so it was making more news. “I’m not going to lie. I’m here to interview you about the STEM program you’re launching here, but my boss might kill me if I don’t come back with a quote about your brother.”

Linking her fingers, Lena set her hands on her desk. “I don’t like your boss.”

“Join the club.” Kara smiled. “But he is an excellent writer and investigator. Ms. Grant wouldn’t have hired him otherwise.”

Lena watched her curiously. “How is CatCo fairing without their queen bee?”

Swallowing, Kara drew in a shallow breath. “Mr. Olsen is doing a great job in her stead.”

“But it’s not the same. Working for a woman like that… powerful, savvy, beautiful.” Lena lifted one eyebrow and Kara got the strange feeling she was being challenged. “I imagine you must miss her very much.”

Suspicion began to creep along Kara’s spine but she kept her features neutral. “Have you been asking around about me, Ms. Luthor?”

“Lena, Kara, please. And yes. I’ve made some polite inquiries about you.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Kara shifted slightly in her seat. “Have I done something to…”

“No, no, no. You just piqued my curiosity, I suppose. I had to know if this refreshingly honest young woman you present yourself to be was legitimately who you are.”

“And are you satisfied?” Kara heard the note of steel that entered her voice, wary of the woman in a way she hadn’t been since their first meeting.

Lena noticed, her lips pursing together to contain a grin. “Very. Seems you were Cat Grant’s most trusted employee.”

“I was her assistant.”

“The only one who lasted longer than two weeks. You made it two years. Quite extraordinary really. Cat must have liked you very much.”

Kara tried not to think of that last hug, how amazing it had felt. “I liked her. Ms. Grant has been a… mentor to me while I’ve been at CatCo. I’ve learned a lot from her.”

Lena smiled again, but something in the gesture set off alarm bells in Kara’s head. “So, ask me your questions while I try to think of a scathing quote for you regarding my dear brother.”

Unnerved and not sure why, Kara opened her reporter’s notebook and slipped out her pen. The interview only took about ten minutes, and Lena did give her a quote about Lex that would leave Snapper giddy, but Kara found herself strangely eager to leave. Usually she lingered, rather enjoying Lena’s company, but today she felt the urge to flee.

“I’ve upset you,” Lena murmured as Kara gathered her things. She stood, moving around the desk to stand before Kara, effectively blocking her path. “That wasn’t my intent.”

“I’m fine.” Kara drew herself up straighter. 

“I have to be careful who I let get… close.”

The excuse was plausible and more than likely accurate, but Kara was still cautious. “I understand. I’m sure someone in your position can’t be too careful.”

“Exactly right.” Lena inched closer. “But I think I can trust you, can’t I?”

“I would hope so,” Kara said sincerely.

“Because I do like you, Kara. Very much in fact.”

Kara hesitated, nerves stirring slightly. She could be clueless about a lot of things, but she was pretty sure she was being hit on. “Oh,” she breathed out in surprise, flattered and even a little intrigued. “I…” 

“Is there someone else?” Lena asked, her gaze narrowing.

Kara adjusted her glasses, the memory of Cat’s heat pressed against her side still fresh and confusing in her mind. She’d come so close to crossing a line that night that she’d practically run when she realized she was teetering on the edge of it. Cat had been so warm with her, so open, so beautiful as they’d shared one last sunset together. Kara had wanted to kiss her so badly, and that desire hadn’t faded in the weeks since. 

“Not… not exactly,” Kara admitted.

“Not exactly,” Lena repeated, a slow, knowing smile on her lips. “That’s promising.”

“Promising?” Kara’s voice broke mid-word and she blushed. Surely she was imagining that this successful, brilliant woman was flirting with her, eyeing her like Kara would eye a box of potstickers. She took a step back, bumping into Lena’s desk.

Lena reached out, adjusting Kara’s collar before tugging on it slightly. Kara reluctantly stepped forward, pretending the pull was strong enough to move her, her heart suddenly racing. “Um… Ms. Luthor…”

“Lena, Kara. Call me Lena.” 

“L-Lena, um… I…”

“Am I making you nervous?”

Swallowing hard when the CEO stepped into her, their bodies brushing, Kara finally accepted that Lena was putting the moves on her, quite forcefully in fact. “Honestly? A little.”

“Just a little? Then I need to try harder.” Lena’s hand wound around Kara’s neck as she leaned in and kissed her. 

For a moment, Kara froze, not sure what to do. Lena’s mouth was soft against her own, and Kara had to admit the contact felt nice, causing a pleasant fluttering deep in her stomach. When Lena adjusted her angle, kissing her with greater intention, Kara slowly relented, kissing her back, the need for connection making her forget herself in the heat and feel of this woman.

Lena’s hand brushed Kara’s hip, slowly sliding upward, and Kara helplessly thought of Cat, of the tiny tease of Cat’s forefinger sliding along Kara’s side as they’d stood on the balcony. Kara pulled away, confused.

“You okay?” Lena murmured.

“I…” Kara swallowed, hesitantly meeting Lena’s eyes. They were a beautiful shade of green, but they weren’t the color Kara longed to see. “I need to go.”

“Kara…” Lena’s tone modulated, sounding regretful and apologetic.

“It’s okay,” Kara promised with a tremulous smile. “It… it was nice. I just…”

Lena tilted her head, watching Kara knowingly. “Perhaps you aren’t as available as I’d hoped.” She smiled, though. “If you should change your mind...”

“I don’t think I will.” Kara itched with the sudden need to go find Cat, to finally confess what she’d been too afraid to before. “But I’m very flattered.”

Slowly, Lena stepped back, giving Kara space to leave. “Tell Catherine I said hello.”

Kara hesitated, thrown, half wondering if Lena could read her mind.

“You’re drawn to powerful women, Kara. It doesn't take a genius to know which one has captivated you in your orbit, especially since it’s sadly not me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I still got the kiss I wanted.” Lena winked before moving away and settling behind her desk. “Until next time, Ms. Danvers.”

Kara had a feeling this, whatever this was, wasn’t over, and she didn’t know how she felt about that. With a nod and a weak smile, she left, resisting the urge to fly to Cat’s penthouse and grabbing a taxi instead.

She wasn’t sure how Cat would react to what she needed to say, but Kara could no longer hold the words back, not when she knew everyone else would pale in comparison to what she felt for the other woman. She needed Cat to return her feelings or let her go. Kara just hoped Cat would be there.

**** 

Lena watched the cab pull away, whisking Kara Danvers to an untouchable distance. She frowned, not used to being denied what she wanted.

Tangling with Cat Grant over this girl might be risky, but Lena had always enjoyed a bit of risk. Cat might prove quite the worthy adversary if she was willing to fight for what she owned.

Settling back at her desk, Lena steepled her fingers and brought them to her lips. She’d been hungry for a distraction since coming to National City. She suspected she’d just found one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a one shot. I should have known better. :)

If Kara was going to be late for sister night then Alex was going to take advantage of it.

Standing at Kara’s kitchen island, she gleefully snacked her second potsticker as she rifled through the latest issue of CatCo Magazine. If Kara didn’t hurry up, she might actually get to eat half of the box for once.

Coming across her sister’s byline, Alex paused, grinning. It still gave her a little thrill of pride to see her sister’s name in print. She saved all of Kara’s articles, keeping them tucked away in a drawer, but she would never tell her sister she was so sentimental.

The locks were thrown, and Alex quickly stuffed the last of the potsticker into her mouth and wiped her hands on her jeans. Kara stepped inside without a word, locked the door, and trudged right past Alex and into the bedroom. Her purse dropped to the floor along the way. A second later, her laptop bag followed with a thud.

Alex canted her head at the behavior before trailing after her. She watched as Kara crawled up on the bed and collapsed on it, face down. “That kind of day, huh?”

Kara groaned pitifully.

Wordlessly, Alex followed suit, crawling up alongside her sister, twisting to put her back against the headboard so she could look down at Kara’s pouting profile. “Snapper finally fire you?”

“No,” Kara groused.

“James start seeing someone else?”

“I have no idea.”

Alex frowned, suspecting what was weighing on her sister and wondering if she might finally admit it. “You miss Cat?”

Kara swallowed but said nothing.

“Kara, you’ve been hiding it pretty well, but I know you. You don’t handle change well, and Cat leaving has… knocked you sideways.” Alex sighed. “You… you seem to be missing your boss a lot more than most employees would.”

“Sometimes I think…” Kara swallowed again, her voice strangely quiet. “It feels like there is this hole in my chest since she left, and it gets a little wider every day.”

Alex dropped her hand onto Kara’s back, rubbing soothing circles. “I know Cat was your mentor, but…” She bit her lip, not sure she wanted to know the answer to the question she was about to ask. “But was there… more than that between you two?”

Her sister didn’t answer right away.

“Kara?”

“No,” Kara whispered. “But… I wanted there to be.”

Straightening slightly, Alex digested that, but she made no comment, waiting Kara out.

“That last night on her balcony… I wanted to kiss her, Alex. I’ve never wanted something so much in my life.”

“And you’re regretting that you didn’t?” Alex guessed. She had a whole host of reasons why Kara should stay far away from the Queen of All Media romantically, but Alex held her tongue. Kara wasn’t an idiot. She knew the risks, and it was her life. Alex had finally come to terms with that, mostly.

“I… I went to her penthouse today. To tell her how I feel.”

Alex’s hand stopped moving on Kara’s back as her stomach tightened with worry. “And?”

“She’s gone. Won’t be back for another week.”

“Hence the belly flopping and groaning?”

“That’s part of it.” Kara sighed. 

“There’s more?”

“Lena Luthor kissed me.” The words were murmured so quietly Alex was certain she misunderstood.

“What?”

“Lena Luthor kissed me,” Kara said with a little more volume, her features reddening and standing out vividly against her light blue sheets.

Alex’s eyebrows shot skyward. “Oh. That’s…” Alex shook her head, marveling a little at how her sister managed to get into these situations. “Uh… What did you do?”

“Kissed her back.” Kara turned her head, burying it in her pillow, muffling the rest of her words. “I think... For a second or two.”

Glancing toward the ceiling, Alex tried to decide which part of her sister’s twisted day to address first. “And… um… how was that?”

Sighing, Kara rolled onto her side so she could face her sister. “Nice,” she admitted reluctantly. “I mean… she smells good. Her lips were really soft. But…”

“But she isn’t Cat?” Alex guessed.

Kara shook her head, drawing another pillow to her chest and holding it tight.  

“I know we do a lot of things together, Kara, but just because I’ve started to question my sexuality doesn’t mean you need to as well,” Alex teased.

“Alex, what do I do?”

Alex sucked in a deep breath as she met Kara’s gaze. Her sister’s faith in her to have the answers made her wince, especially when she had so many questions about her own feelings and desires weighing heavily on her at the moment. She didn’t want to tell Kara the wrong thing, to send her off on a path that might see her hurt, but when it came to matters of the heart, there were always risks. “What do you want to do?”

“Find Cat. Confess that I’m crazy about her.”

“And how do you think Cat would take that?”

Kara pulled the pillow clutched in her arms over her face. “I don’t know,” she groaned.

Alex pursed her lips, bemused. She grabbed the pillow and drug it off. “Do you think there is a chance Cat feels the same way?”

“I don’t know,” Kara said again, and Alex’s amusement faded when she saw the tears beginning to glisten in Kara’s eyes. “Some part of me thinks there was something there. The way she held me the day she told me she was leaving… You know how sometimes you can feel what someone wants to say in a hug even when they don’t say it?”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed softly. Her sister was pretty damn good at those kinds of hugs, and Maggie was proving to be as well. “I don’t know what to tell you, Kara, but…”

Kara looked up at her beseechingly.  

“But… you’re not someone who can keep things bottled up, who can leave things unsaid.”

Kara didn’t disagree.

“I know part of that is a Kryptonian thing, but part of it is that your heart can’t stand to hold that stuff in.”

Sniffling slightly, Kara rolled toward her sister, resting her forehead against Alex’s hip as she curled one hand around Alex’s jean-clad thigh. “I should tell Cat, right?”

“The better question is,” Alex murmured, dropping her hand to her sister’s back again, “are your feelings strong enough that not even Supergirl could hold them back?”

After a quiet minute, Kara slowly nodded.

“Then I guess you know what you need to do.”


	3. Chapter 3

Stepping outside on the quiet balcony, Cat studied the Metropolis skyline, awash in light on an unusually clear night. The air was warm and humid on her bare shoulders, causing a trickle of uncomfortable sweat to tease down her spine beneath her figure-hugging burgundy dress. The sight before her had always made her feel at home, but tonight, Metropolis felt like a stranger. She longed for a glimpse of CatCo, to spy the lights of Otto Binder Bridge, to catch a glimpse of red, blue, and blonde flying across the night sky.

It had been six and a half weeks since she’d taken a leave of absence. While the time spent with her sons had been precious, Cat was still restless, still searching for that new adventure that had compelled her to leave her empire behind. She’d had a few tantalizing offers, one had even come earlier that evening during the party that carried on inside without her, but Cat still found herself reluctant to take the plunge.

Sighing, Cat slipped her phone out of her clutch, toying with the idea of texting Kara. As late as the hour was getting in Metropolis, it would still be early enough in National City. They’d never gone this long without speaking to one another since they’d met, even in digital form, and the separation was beginning to wear on her. Cat closed her eyes, able to picture Kara and that sunny smile so clearly. It was as if that last hug had burned itself into her memory, imprinted itself on her body.

Behind her, the door opened, and Cat sighed, tossing the phone back in her purse. She hoped she wasn’t about to be accosted by Perry White again. It might be his retirement party, but she’d had enough of his cheap aftershave for one night.

A woman suddenly appeared on Cat’s right, her dress a deep blue bordering on black. Cat glimpsed her features and did a double take when she found the woman watching her speculatively.

“Cat.”

“Lena Luthor,” Cat murmured. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Lena shrugged a bare shoulder, her skin so pale as to almost seem translucent. “At this event or in Metropolis?”

“Either. The Daily Planet hasn’t been kind to the Luthor family, and your name is pretty much mud in this city.”

Lena smiled, taking a sip from the flute of champagne in her hand, her blood red lips leaving a vivid imprint on the glass. She was a striking woman, Cat had to admit, but something about Lena always left her wary, not the least of which was the Luthor name.

“Yes, my brother worked quite hard to tarnish that. As for the Planet…” Lena smirked slightly. “You’re here to celebrate Mr. White’s career. I’m here to celebrate the end of it.”

Cat dipped her head. “Fair enough.”

Lena drifted closer and Cat caught a whiff of expensive perfume. It was darker than her own scent, heavier, but it suited the woman. “I was disappointed when I’d heard you’d taken a leave of absence from CatCo.”

“Disappointed?”

“I thought we could catch up.”

Cat suspected this was no casual conversation. She’d been a reporter too long, had learned all the tricks for easing someone into a false sense of security to get the scoop she wanted. Lena should know better. “I wasn’t aware we were friends,” Cat said neutrally.

“No, but we’re acquaintances, aren’t we? National City’s two most powerful women, although I guess that’s my title alone now, hmmm?”

Eyes narrowing, Cat refused to have her ego so blatantly baited. “I’m sure Supergirl might disagree with that assessment.”

“Ah yes. Supergirl.” Lena rolled her eyes, telegraphing what she thought of National City’s hero. “After all that work you put into your Girl of Steel, I’m surprised you’d abandon her.” She took another sip of her champagne.

Bristling, Cat turned more fully toward the other woman. “What do you want, Lena? I’m in no mood for Luther head games tonight.”

Lena smiled, more genuinely this time. “I do like you Cat. Very much in fact. That’s why I’m going to be… sporting... about what I want. Respectful even. A courtesy I’m not sure I’d extend to anyone else. I wasn’t even sure I was going to extend it to you until I saw you here tonight, but then I decided it must be fate that our paths crossed.”

“Fate? Hmmm.” Somehow Cat suspected Lena’s appearance at the party had nothing to do with fate and everything to do with whatever the woman was after. Cat leaned her elbow against the rail. “You have me at a disadvantage. I don’t even know what the stakes are in this competition we’re apparently having.”

“That pretty reporter of yours.”

Her stomach dropped as Cat realized, finally, who this was about. “Kara.”

“Of all the reporters in your many bullpens, Catherine, you knew who I was talking about with that simple description. I’m impressed… and intrigued.”

Feeling like she’d just been tossed out onto some kind of mental and verbal minefield, Cat’s jaw clenched with irritation. “Kara was my assistant.” She kept her tone flat, disinterested.

“I’m aware. She talks of you often. Quite fondly in fact.”

A tiny bloom of warmth ignited in Cat’s chest at the thought, but it was tempered by the knowledge Kara was spending time in this woman’s company. She didn’t want Supergirl anywhere near a Luthor, even though she knew Kara had interviewed Lena once or twice. “Often?”

“Kara and I see one another fairly frequently now. She’s often the highlight of my week.”

Cat was desperate to know in what capacity and equally as afraid to find out. A woman like Lena Luthor certainly had her appeal. Powerful. Regal. Dangerously seductive. The thought of her getting her claws in Kara made Cat’s stomach roil.

“What’s this about?” Cat demanded.

“The direct approach. I like it.” Lena polished off the last sip of her champagne and set the empty flute on the rail. “I find myself… enamored by your girl.”

“Kara is no one’s _girl_.”

“But she could be, Cat. She could be all yours if you wanted her.” 

Cat swallowed hard at the thought, her breathing going rough and uneven, but she did her best to keep her features neutral. “She told you that?”

“Dying to know, aren’t you?” Lena smiled, teasing lightly.

Straightening, Cat took a few deliberate strides forward into Lena’s personal space, projecting a quiet menace that had served her well in the boardroom. “Whatever this nonsense is about, leave Kara alone.”

“Are you staking a claim then? Warning me off?” Lena continued to smile, her tone almost flirtatious. “I hadn’t been sure what was between you until earlier this week. I couldn’t tell if Kara’s feelings trended toward hero worship or something more… intimate.”

Cat said nothing.

“She’s beautiful, Cat. Warmth and goodness and light all wrapped up in the prettiest of packages. It’s no mystery why women like us are drawn to her, to that irresistible sweetness. Kara has a power all her own, one she doesn’t even know she possesses, doesn’t she?”

Lena had no idea. “She’s too good for you,” Cat said softly, a hint of a threat in her voice now. “I know that much.”

“She’s too good for both of us,” Lena replied easily. “But… for now… Kara’s affections seem to be yours. The question at hand is, what are you going to do with them?”

Emotionally reeling, Cat gripped the rail, but she kept her gaze on Luthor. “You’re mistaken.”

“I’m not.” Lena finally looked away, staring at the city. “Kara Danvers is in love with you.” Her voice shifted, modulating from bold and brash to something a little more vulnerable. “I usually would take that as a challenge, but I actually respect you, Cat. What’s more? I respect Kara.” She glanced at Cat again. “But if you’re going to be a fool and throw away a chance with a woman like that? Then Kara is fair game as far as I’m concerned.”

Head spinning with the revelations, Cat furiously tried to identify if Lena was telling the truth or weaving some kind of dangerous web of lies. Her usually impeccable instincts deserted her when she needed them most. “Why are you telling me this?”

Lena’s lips twitched but she didn’t smile this time. “I care for her. I’d like to see her happy. And apparently you make her happy. Or you could.”

Cat, for once in her life, was rendered speechless.

“So… out of respect, I’ll give you a few days to make your choice, but know that I’m waiting in the wings. Either you claim what’s yours or I will.” Lena started to walk away only to hesitate, putting her hand on Cat’s shoulder and leaning in close to whisper in her ear. “By the way, Cat, that smile of Kara’s? It tastes even better than it looks.”

Having delivered that sucker punch to Cat’s emotions, Lena sauntered away.

Trembling, Cat didn’t dare turn loose of the rail, afraid her knees might buckle, might give away how much Lena’s words had affected her.

“Ms. Grant? Are you all right?”

Cat turned her head, blinking when she found Clark Kent by her arm. “Clark…” She met his gaze, peering into eyes very much like the ones she was missing desperately at the moment. “I’m… fine.”

“Did Lena say something to you? You look… rattled.”

Drawing herself up straighter, Cat plastered a tight smile on her features. “I’m fine,” she said again, trying to convince him as much as herself. 

****

Hours later, Cat paced her hotel room, unable to sleep. Lena Luthor had gotten under her skin, stirring up the very hornet's nest of emotions she’d been trying to put behind her. 

_Kara._

Just the thought of the younger woman’s name left a bittersweet ache in Cat’s chest. It had been well over a month since she’d last seen those beautiful eyes, that beguiling smile, and Cat craved both like a drug. 

She’d searched every issue of CatCo Magazine for the younger woman’s byline, reading her articles with pride. More than once she’d been tempted to send an email or text to offer praise, but every time she’d stopped herself. One of her main reasons for leaving CatCo had been to get away from what she was feeling for Kara. Reconnecting when she was doing her best to forget the damn girl would be like falling off the wagon.

Kara Danvers was her addiction and her form of rehab was definitely not working.

And what in the hell did Lena mean when she said Kara’s smile tasted as good as it looked? That comment stuck in her craw, twisted her up in knots, her mind envisioning Lena kissing Kara, taking advantage of her in ways Cat had always resisted. Lena would see her as a conquest, wouldn’t love Kara the way she...

Cat took a sip of whiskey straight from the bottle that dangled from her fingertips as she paced toward the million dollar view of Metropolis. It was her first home. The first city she’d loved. The city she’d fled to in order to put Kara Danvers behind her. Now she could barely stand to look at it.

_Either you claim what’s yours or I will._

Why would Luthor think Kara belonged to her? Cat’s mind seized on that, exploring the angles. Had Kara indicated something? Was Lena assuming? Only two people had the answers Cat needed, and Cat wasn’t sure who would be the worst to confront.

Setting the bottle on the window ledge, Cat stared out into the night. The smart thing was to keep pulling away, to forget Kara Danvers and her ridiculous feelings for the younger woman, but if Lena Luthor was going to go after Kara, Cat couldn’t let that stand. She had to protect Kara, even if the damn girl could leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Running had never been her style anyway, Cat thought with a sigh. And maybe, just maybe, if Kara did care for her like that... 

_Either you claim what’s yours or I will._

Cat picked up the bottle again, toasting her reflection in the glass. Perhaps the new waters she’d been searching for wasn’t a thing, a job, a purpose. 

Maybe it was a person. One in particular.

“Time to dive,” she told herself before taking another sip.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bumping the rating up to an M but only because there isn't something that falls between M and T.
> 
> Hope this chapter will offer a pleasant distraction from some of the uncertainty in the world at the moment.

It was now or never.

Blowing out a nervous breath, Kara paced the lobby of Cat’s apartment building. The doorman had recognized her, letting her in without question and a friendly smile, but so far Kara hadn’t been able to bring herself to push the button on the elevator. Now that she knew Cat was, in fact, in her penthouse, having returned unexpectedly early from her latest trip, the idea of confronting the older woman with her feelings made Kara feel painfully vulnerable. 

Nervously human.

The elevator chimed, and Kara stepped aside as the doors opened, making way for whomever was emerging, only to come face-to-face with the woman she’d come to see.

Kara’s heart leapt as their eyes met. “Ms. Grant,” she blurted before her gaze reluctantly shifted to Cat’s right and tilted upward. She blinked. “Carter! Wow. You’re getting tall.”

“Kara!” Carter stepped out and embraced her, but Kara couldn’t take her eyes off Cat. The older woman was watching her with a sly grin that did things to Kara’s pulse rate. God, she’d missed that smile.

“I’m convinced Ella is putting growth hormone in his breakfast or something,” Cat murmured as she joined them, her gaze flickering over Kara’s typical reporter wardrobe of khakis, a white shirt, and blue blazer and smirking slightly with approval. “Everything all right?”

Kara hadn’t thought this through, not having considered that Carter might be there. It was a stupid error in judgment, judgment that had been clouded by nothing but thoughts of Cat the last few days. “Yeah,” she said with forced breeziness. “I just… I was in the neighborhood on a story and thought I’d say ‘hi.’ See how things are going.”

“Mmm.” Cat didn’t look like she bought the excuse for a moment, but she also didn’t seem to mind Kara’s unexpected presence. If anything, Cat almost seemed… pleased. “We’re on our way to Carter’s science fair. It’s his last big project before summer break.”

“Oh.” Kara backed up a step, starting to feel like a fool. “Sorry. I don’t want to keep you.”

“You should come,” Carter suggested. “It’s pretty cool.”

Kara barely bit back the urge to accept immediately so she could spend a few more minutes in Cat’s company. “That’s sweet, Carter, but I…”

“The more the merrier,” Cat added, bemused, and Kara’s head whipped back around, startled by the invitation, even more so when she realized it was genuine. 

“I…”

“Unless you don’t like science,” Cat drawled.

Kara swallowed, thinking about her recent confession to Alex about being dragged to ‘boring’ science fairs when she was younger. “I… I love science,” Kara managed to squeak out, her heart slamming in her chest. It didn’t get any calmer when Cat stepped forward and looped one of her arms through Kara’s, turning her about as they headed for the front entrance and the town car waiting at the curb.

“It’s settled then. Science fair and then ice cream. That’s the plan.”

“Awesome!” Carter proclaimed, loping ahead to open the door like the young gentleman he was. 

“Awesome,” Kara repeated breathlessly, soaking up Cat’s presence.

****

“I’m really sorry if I’m intruding, Ms. Grant,” Kara felt compelled to say, again, once Carter had left them alone to go man his presentation. Cat had linked arms again with her as soon as they had arrived, and Kara kept expecting Cat would turn her loose, but she seemed in no hurry to do so.

Not that Kara minded.

Cat smelled amazing, and the heat of her was deliciously distracting. Kara had known she’d missed the woman desperately, but she hadn’t fully appreciated how much until now. She felt settled, balanced, _happy_ for the first time in weeks.

“I’m not your boss anymore, Kara. You can call me Cat.”

Kara grinned, helplessly giddy to have Cat back in her life for the evening. “All right… Cat.”

Cat smiled, the expression softer and warmer than Kara had ever seen it on the other woman. She had to remind herself to breathe.

“I should thank you for showing up when you did. I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind.”

“Don’t like science?” Kara teased.

“I don’t mind the science. It’s rather entertaining and enlightening to see what the kids dream up. What I can’t abide is the insipid conversations with the other parents I’d soon avoid. I haven’t seen most of them since I stepped down from CatCo. They would have been on me like a pack of vultures.”

They slowly strolled through the booths, earning more than a few speculative glances. 

“So how long are you back in National City?” Kara wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Mmm. A while,” Cat murmured, giving Kara an inscrutable sideways glance. “There’s a… project… that’s come up here. An enticing one I’m not sure I can resist.”

Nerves fluttered in Kara’s stomach, but she wasn’t sure what had set them off. “A project?”

“Of a sort,” Cat replied cryptically. “It’s one I’ve considered taking on before, but I talked myself out of it too many times to count.”

“That doesn’t sound like you,” Kara said, “not to go after what you want.”

Cat glanced at her, her gaze lingering pleasantly, and the nerves in Kara’s stomach became more pronounced. “I didn’t think it was wise at the time, or that it would work out.”

“But you think it might now?”

Cat’s grip on Kara’s arm tightened minutely, and Kara’s pulse skyrocketed. “I’m hopeful. I have more… data than I did before.”

“Sounds intriguing.” Kara gave her a shy smile.

“Very,” Cat drawled. 

They walked on in silence for a few moments, studying the projects. Kara had to admit she got a kick out of seeing them, but she’d heard more than one person speculating about her relationship with Cat. “Um… I think people are starting to gossip.”

“About what?” Cat muttered as she drifted over to a display about Krypton, taking Kara with her. Kara did a double take at the topic.

“Um… us.”

“Oh. Does that… bother you?”

“No,” Kara answered honestly.  “I just thought… I mean… you’re you and I’m… me.”

“Eloquently stated.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Do you really want these people thinking you’re… you’re _dating_ some cub reporter?” She tried to brace herself for what would likely be a caustic response, but Cat merely shrugged.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Kara. Smart, kind, talented. I could do much worse.”

Cat finally looked at her when Kara could think of nothing intelligent to say in response to that. She smirked at Kara’s flummoxed expression, but there was a look in her eyes Kara couldn’t decipher. “You’re sure it doesn’t bother you?”

“Why would it?” Kara asked softly.

“They likely think you’re a gold digger. Sleeping with the boss to get ahead, perhaps.”

“You’re not my boss anymore.” Kara slowly smiled, surprised and pleased at the direction of their conversation. “And if they think I’m a gold digger, well…” Kara shrugged. “They have to admit I have good taste.”

Cat’s right eyebrow arched neatly, but she smiled, pleased.

Kara wondered if they would make the gossip page tomorrow. Snapper would have a fit. The thought was perversely amusing.

“Snapper teaching you well?” Cat asked as if she’d read Kara’s mind, drawing Kara back along as they meandered down another row.

“Um… he’s teaching me,” Kara admitted. “Sometimes lessons I’d rather not learn, but he’s teaching me.”

Cat grinned. “Yes, he’s a son-of-a-bitch, and he has all the finesse of a bull in a china shop, but you could not ask for a better investigator to learn the tools of the trade, Kara.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself,” Kara grumbled, but a hint of amusement crept into her voice.

Cat chuckled, leaning closer, their shoulders brushing. Kara’s breath caught at the contact, but after a moment, she returned the pressure, risking a glance at Cat in time to see a small, charmed smile on the older woman’s lips. 

“But you’re enjoying it? Being a reporter?” Cat looked up at her, her gaze curious and perhaps even a little worried.

“I am. Your instincts were right on the money. As usual.”

“Good. Looks like the judging is about to start.”

Kara started to respond only for the words to lodge in her throat as Cat’s fingers tangled with her own and gave her a little tug.

“Come on. I want to find a covert spot where I can watch Carter without him seeing us.”

Kara went willingly, happy to follow Cat anywhere as long as the other woman didn’t let her go.

****

“Thank you both for a fun night,” Kara said a few hours later as the town car pulled away behind them. “And you,” she said to Carter, giving him a quick hug, “congratulations on first place, young man.”

Cat watched them, charmed by Kara’s easy and sweet relationship with her son. Carter adored her, and it was clear as Cat watched them that having Kara in his life was good for him. Cat didn’t know why she hadn’t seen that before.

“Really happy you got to come, Kara. We should all do dinner one night.” Carter glanced back at his mother, his eyes quietly knowing, quietly challenging, and Cat snorted out a soft breath in surprise.

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Cat murmured, earning her a proud smile.

“I’m going to go on up. I need to call Julie. Night, Kara.”

“Night, Carter,” Kara said with a grin. “Who’s Julie?” she asked when they were alone on the curb.

“His girlfriend.”

Kara’s eyes widened comically.

“Carter will tell you otherwise, but methinks he doth protest too much.” Cat sighed, both amused and wistful about this development in her son’s life.

“They grow up so fast.”

“Tell me about it.” Cat was in no hurry to have this night end, savoring Kara’s company. She’d missed her more than she wanted to admit. Having her close again not only felt good, it felt _right_.

Lena Luthor had been correct, about all of it, Cat had to admit. The way Kara was looking at her now confirmed it. This was their moment, when Cat either claimed what was apparently hers or let Kara go. She knew in her heart she wouldn’t get another chance. 

“Want to come up for a drink?”

Kara blinked and Cat didn’t miss the sound of the younger woman’s breath catching in surprise. She rather liked it, and Cat couldn’t help but wonder if Kara would make the same sound in bed.

“I’d love to.”

****

“I’ve missed this view,” Cat murmured a short while later, staring out at the bridge she’d longed to see two nights before. A bottle of white wine sat on the table behind them, each of them sporting a glass.

Kara drifted closer, leaning against the rail beside her. “I’ve missed you,” she said softly.

Cat’s heart clenched at the words, and she mentally damned Lena Luthor for erasing in one night the weeks of work she’d spent trying to put her feelings for Kara behind her. She turned her head to find those ocean-blue eyes already on her, and the emotion in them both scared Cat to death and warmed her body against the night’s chill. “You missed me?” she asked skeptically. “Which part? My cutting wit? My bitchy moods when my mother was in town? Maybe it was the lattes you used to fetch?”

“All of them. Everything,” Kara said honestly. “Maybe not the visits from your mother,” she allowed.

Cat grinned and took a sip of her wine.

“When I said I couldn’t imagine being at CatCo without you, I meant it. It’s… it’s not been the same,” Kara said.

Cat shifted, leaning her hip against the rail so she could see Kara better. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re a glutton for punishment, Kara?”

“I miss that most,” Kara confessed.

“What?” Cat was taken with the expression on Kara’s features. It looked more than a little like love.

“Hearing you say my name.” The girl smiled sadly, her gaze dropping to the ground between them.

Cat swallowed, affected. “I missed you too,” she admitted, her voice roughening with emotion.

Kara rolled her eyes. “That’s sweet, Ms… Cat,” she corrected, “but I’m sure…”

“I did. I do.” Cat took a sharp breath when Kara looked at her in surprise. “You… became much more than assistant to me, Kara. You know that, don’t you?”

Kara’s eyes searched hers, and she took an unconscious step closer. “I’ve missed talking to you. When I got my first big story, I ran to your office to tell you and it hit me all over again that you were gone.”

Startled by the tears that blurred her vision, Cat blinked. “You could have called. Texted.”

“You… you have a new life. You’d left CatCo behind. I wanted to honor that.”

“I left a _job_ , Kara, not you.” That wasn’t completely true, but Cat couldn’t deny she’d wanted to hear from Kara every single day she’d been gone. She’d stopped herself from reaching out too many times to count. “So we’ve both been fools, apparently.”

Kara grinned. “So… it’s okay for me to text you every now and then?”

Easing closer, Cat watched with interest as Kara’s breath hitched at their proximity, feeling the pull of this irresistible _thing_ between them. “Of course. Although the occasional lunch or dinner would be nice. I have a lot more free time for such things now.”

Kara’s answering smile was blinding, and Cat felt something stir inside her, something darker, selfish and intense. _Mine_ , she thought. That smile that Lena claimed tasted as good as it looked, that was _hers_ for the taking, and the thought of Lena’s Luthor getting there first brought a scowl to Cat’s lips.

“What?” Kara asked, sensing her abrupt change in mood.

Cat sighed. “I ran into a mutual acquaintance the other night.”

“Who?”

“Lena Luthor.”

Blue eyes immediately became wary, and Cat’s heart sank a little when Kara looked away. “Oh?”

“She was in Metropolis for Perry White’s retirement party. Cornered me on the balcony.”

Kara looked at her again with concern. “Cornered you?” 

“Mmm.” Cat weighed how to approach the moment, having thought of very little else the past 48 hours. “She implied you too had become... close.”

Throat rippling around a rough swallow, Kara watched her with no small amount of trepidation. “I suppose that’s true. We’ve… developed a working relationship. We’re even… friends.”

“Mmm,” Cat said again. “Friends,” she drawled, lifting her gaze to Kara’s once more and holding it. “I got the impression it was… more.”

“Cat…” Kara sounded a little breathless. “I…”

“You’re a grown woman, Kara. You can bed whom you like.”

“Okay,” Kara set her wine glass down, and Cat noticed the girl was shaking. “That’s not… that didn’t happen. If Lena told you we’re…”

“Lena said no such thing, but she made her intentions quite clear that she’d like an intimate relationship with you.” Cat set her own glass down, feeling the tension between them rising.

Fiddling nervously with her glasses, Kara whispered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, “Oh, Rao.”

“Can’t say that I approve,” Cat murmured, pleased her voice sounded mostly even.

“Because she’s a woman?”

“Because she’s a Luthor, and you’re…” Cat hesitated, Kara’s gaze sharpening on her. Sighing, Cat shook her head. “Are her affections welcome?”

Kara swallowed hard. “Ms. Grant...”

“What’s going on with you two, Kara?”

Suddenly Kara stiffened slightly. “I don’t… I don’t think that’s really any of your business, is it?”

Cat arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Lena made it my business by dragging me into the middle of your… tryst.”

“It’s not a tryst,” Kara answered with a huff. “It’s not anything. She kissed me, okay? That’s all it was.”

“Against your will?”

“Not… exactly. I… kissed her back, but I…”

Cat stepped into Kara’s personal space, needing the answer but fearing it as well. The thought of Lena Luthor’s mouth on Kara’s, her hands on this woman’s body, made Cat seethe. _Mine_ , Cat’s thoughts hissed again as she stared at Kara, looking irresistible in the moonlight. _Mine_.

“But you what?” Cat demanded, fingers twitching with the need to reach out, to claim.

“But she wasn’t the one I wanted to be kissing!” Kara blurted, finally finding some of that Kryptonian courage and leaning toward Cat, her blue eyes flashing steel.

No longer able to resist, Cat closed the scant distance between them and captured Kara’s mouth, taking what was hers.

But Cat soon found that possession went both ways as Kara pressed into her, pushing her back to the rail as the younger woman’s body slid seductively against her. Kara kissed her with equal fervor, a soft, broken moan in the back of her throat. The sound made Cat swoon, and she gripped Kara’s shoulders, nails digging in as her teeth caught Kara’s bottom lip and bit hard enough to draw blood.

There was none of course, but Cat had no time to savor having her suspicions confirmed as Kara’s mouth suddenly skimmed down her throat before her tongue flicked over a sensitive patch of skin that made Cat’s breath catch. “Don’t you dare…” Cat started to warn only to feel Kara suck hard.

Cat’s hips jolted forward as a low, needy groan escaped her. “Goddamn it. If you mark me…”

“Make me stop then,” Kara whispered, brazen, before drifting an inch higher and doing it again.

Cat meant to push the younger woman away, but instead one hand fisted in Kara’s hair, the other in the reporter’s blazer, tugging on both in desperation, trying to get Kara even closer. Their hips shifted against each other, restless, eager, and Cat realized if they didn’t stop now they weren’t going to.

“Kara, Carter...”

Kara sucked down a harsh breath, leaning into Cat, her body trembling, and Cat had to admit she was tempted to risk it, to see if she could push Kara just enough to throw all caution to the wind.

“I’m sorry,” Kara murmured, her breathing rough and heavy. “Oh Rao…”

“Don’t be sorry.” Cat swallowed, finding it hard to think with Kara’s firm, powerful body pressed against her. “I have every intention of seeing this evening’s activities playing out at a more… private time.”

Kara leaned back slightly in surprise. “You do?”

Cat swallowed at the fragile hope in the girl’s eyes. She cupped Kara’s cheek, let her thumb skim over soft skin. “If… if you’d want that.”

“I told you,” Kara confessed. “Lena isn’t the woman I want.” Those blue eyes pinned Cat with a look. “I’ve… I’ve wanted… more… with you for a long time, Cat.”

“So have I,” Cat admitted. “And I tried to run from it, but obviously that was a rare failure on my part.”

Kara’s lips twitched at the attempt at humor. “So, we’re… um…”

“Yes. We’re… _um_ ,” Cat teased, only to have her heart nearly explode when Kara gave her a full wattage Sunny Danvers smile. “Oh damn. Don’t look at me like that.”

“Why?”

“Because my son is just inside, and you’re making this very hard.”

Kara dipped her head and reluctantly stepped back, but her lips were still curved into a helpless smile. “Will you still be in the city this weekend?”

“Something tells me I’m going to be in National City for quite a while, actually.” Cat reached out, helpless not to touch, straightening the lapels on Kara’s blazer. She could still see the creases where her fist had been. “Why? Are you asking me out on a date, Ms. Danvers?” 

“Yes,” Kara said softly, sincerely, and Cat’s heart melted further.

“Oh,” Cat breathed in surprise, almost embarrassed by how giddy the invitation made her. “Carter will be at his father’s.”

“I know.”

Cat swallowed. “Would you like to come over Friday night?” Anticipation bloomed low in her stomach.

Kara nodded before smiling shyly again. “I should go, while I have the strength to. Text me the details and I’ll be there.”

“Barring ‘super’ emergencies?” Cat couldn’t help but jibe.

Kara stared at her for a long moment, taking a deep, unsteady breath. “Not sure even one of those could keep me away.”

Shock skittered pleasantly through Cat’s veins, and her eyes widened in surprise. With a triumphant smirk, Kara turned to go.

“Kara,” Cat called out, and the young woman paused at the door, looking back at her. “You’re mine. Make sure Lena knows that if she tries anything else.”

A pleased expression settled over Kara’s features. “Yes, Ms. Grant,” she purred meaningfully. “I’m all yours.”

“And I’m yours,” Cat whispered as Kara left, watching through the glass door as the younger woman’s steps faltered. Kara glanced back at her, eyes wide, and Cat smiled, busted.

****

The next morning, Lena arrived for work, the sun spilling through her windows and landing on the expensive bouquet of flowers nestled on the corner of her desk. She drew up short and frowned.

“Jess?” she called to her assistant. “Where did these flowers come from?”

Jess hurried in. “They were delivered by special courier this morning.” She handed Lena a small card. “We had them scanned as a precaution. No explosives or biological agents.”

“Can’t be too careful, I suppose.” Lena’s mouth twisted as she toyed with the card, noting the thick card stock and having a strong suspicion where the flowers had come from. “Thank you for the extra precautions.”

“Of course,” Jess replied as Lena drifted closer to the blooms. “They are beautiful.”

“Very,” Lena murmured. “That will be all.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

With a sigh, Lena slit the envelope open as Jess left, pulling out the card. The first thing she noticed was the signature, Cat Grant’s strong script signed with a flourish. Her jaw tightened even as her eyes glittered with amusement.

_Dear Lena,_

_After much deliberation, I decided I should thank you. As you so helpfully instructed, I claimed what was mine and have every intention of keeping her. Please accept these flowers as a token of my appreciation as well as my sympathy for your loss._

_Cat_

Snorting faintly at the jibe, Lena slipped the card back into the envelope before leaning over to breathe in one of the beautiful blooms. They had an intoxicating scent, and she was going to enjoy them fully even if the message they’d arrived with had been disappointing.

“You’re welcome, Catherine,” she murmured. “But you best take care of what’s yours lest someone come along and tempt it away.”

Lena smiled.


End file.
